Evaluation and Characterization of CuInGaSe₂Nanoparticles for Solar Cells by Non-Vacuum Process

Current interest in the photovoltaic industry is to identify and develop more suitable materials and processes for the fabrication of efficient and cost-effective solar cells. Various processes have been being tried for making a low cost CuInGaSe₂(CIGS) absorber layer. Spray deposition process has been employed using CIGS nanopartic1es in low temperature processes for solar cells. In this work, we synthesized the quarternary CIGS nanopartic1es for absorber layer of solar cells by solvothermal method. Spherical CuInGaSe₂nanopartic1es with diameter in the range of 30-80 ㎚ were obtained at 280℃ for 14 hour from the reaction of Cu, In, Ga and Se powders in ethylenediamine solvent. As the reaction temperature increased, the shapes of CIGS nanopartic1es changed from flat to spherical types. The CIGS nanopartic1es were identified to have a typical chalcopyrite tetragonal structure by using ICP AES, EDS, XRD, TEM, HRSEM analyses. The formation of CIGS nanopartic1es was explained in terms of the SLS growth mechanism.